Durban - As a mother prepares to bury her son on Saturday – the victim of a Wentworth shooting – anger mounts in the south Durban community over a senior policeman’s remarks that a series of shootings and murders was not linked to gangs.
Brigadier James Sayer, the Brighton Beach cluster commander who oversees the operations in Wentworth, denied gangs were to blame. He was being interviewed on television news programme, Carte Blanche, about the escalating drug turf war plaguing the community.
Sayer said the shooting incidents in the area over December were linked to Christmas “festivities”.
“There are no gangs in Wentworth, just groups who commit crime,” he said.
Devon Lochenberg, 25, who featured in the Carte Blanche insert after he was shot in the back on Christmas Eve, died in Wentworth Hospital last Saturday from complications arising from his injury.
His mother, Jenny Fynn, said on Thursday that she was disgusted at the police denial of a gang problem.
“They are lying. They get bribes from these gangs so that is why they are covering up for them.”
Fynn, forced to flee her flat in Hime Street because the man who allegedly shot her son lives nearby, said he was shot because he did not want to hang out with a particular gang.
“He was shot by people he knew and grew up with because they thought he was moving with boys from another area. It is all related to gang wars. I cannot understand why the police would want to deny that this is going on.”
Fynn said after burying her son, she planned to see that the man who allegedly shot him is brought to justice.
“He was charged with attempted murder but he made bail. He needs to be charged with murder now that my son is dead. We need justice,” she said.
Community activist, Desmond D’Sa, who helped quell the Wentworth gang wars in the 1980s, said the police denial of gang war was “sad”.
“What that says to the drug lords out there is: continue. You are protected. We are burying our children every week because of the gang wars and yet the police choose to hide behind such denials.
“It shows that they are out of touch with the everyday reality faced by this community.”
Pastor John Bailey, who along with the ministers of all denominations has organised “peace marches” to known drug hot spots, said he was angered by the police response.
“When I saw that (interview with Sayer) I could not understand where he is coming from as he knows nothing about what is going on in the community. Gangsterism is a way of life for people in Wentworth. It is just ridiculous for him to go on national TV and say that,” he said.
Bailey said the churches held meetings with police regularly and were pleased with the progress being made by the Hawks, who have made several arrests in recent months. The Hawks have set up a task team to investigate cases linked to the drug trade.
“The police, including the station commander at Wentworth who we are in contact with, do not give the impression there is no drug or gang war going on. They understand the issues facing the community and we hope they continue making progress,” he said.
In December, after the Christmas Day murder of soccer player Tremaine Marais, 22, gunned down near his home in Cycas Road, Community Safety MEC Willies Mchunu vowed to crack down on the “drug scums” and gangsterism in Wentworth.
His department has developed a plan to deal with drugs and gangsterism in the neighbourhood and he announced that a task team would be set up.
By the time of publication, the police had not responded to questions.
Daily News